Pump



Jan. 7,1936.

w. M. BELL PUMP Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PUMP Walter M. Bell, Chicago, Ill.;

Gertrude F. Bell,

administratrix of said Walter M. Bell, deceased, assigner to Gertrude F. Bell Application November 11, 1932, Serial No. 642,157

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps and method of handling liquid containing solid and semisolid material, and one object ofthe invention is the provision of a unitary structure embodying means for reducing solid and semi-solid material accompanying the liquid to a size that will not clog the pump, also embodying means for conveying or feeding the reduced material along with the liquid to a hydraulic pumping element capable of pumping the liquid and reduced material to some other place.

In one form, the invention is embodied in a combination of a centrifugal pump and a comminuting element arranged to produce some conveying effect.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for comminuting, that is to say breaking up, shattering, cutting, chopping or otherwise reducing material in size and for supplying it, so

reduced, to the pumping element of the pump.

A further object is to provide in one moving unit means for comminuting, that is to say shattering, cutting, chopping or breaking up solid and semi-solid material carried by the liquid and pumping the same.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated'more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing,

wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross section;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross section, taken at line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken at line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawing.

A indicates a shaft upon which an impeller A1 vhaving one or more impeller blades is mounted.

This device with its housing A3 forms a centrifugal pump. Mounted also on the shaft is a combined conveyor and comminuting element A2. It is preferably helical or helicoidal in shape and is so proportioned as to act as a comminuting element so that solid and semi-solid material entering the pump and coming in contact with the member A2 will be torn, cut, chopped or shattered so as to be reduced in size to a degree su'lcient to be adequately and readily handled without difficulty and without binding or clogging in the pump. A3 indicates a housing for the pump impeller A1, which is preferably formed as shown with a peripheral discharge pasage A4 and may have a fresh water sealing member A5 inserted in it or forming a part of it to'provide a seal about (Cl. 10S-89) the shaft A. Afi indicates the comminuter housing. It may be formed of generally cylindrical shape, having an intake or suction inlet A'I which may be disposed at any angle to the shaft and through which liquid containing solid and semi- 5 solid material is fed inwardly. The housing A6 is preferably joined to the impeller housing as at A8 and may have formed in it or attached to it a fresh water sealing member A9 around the shaft. 10 B, B designate bearings of any suitable design, not indicated in detail here. They are carried in supports B1, B1 which may be `mounted on any suitable base or foundation B2. The bearings B carry the shaft A and support the rotary element 15 or assembly as a whole. The composite housing made up of the members A3, A5, A6 and A9 is carried on the base or foundation B2. An addtional support B3 may rest upon the foundation B2 and by means of an adjustable member B'1 20 may carry a portion of the weight of the housing A5. B5, B5 designate catch or drain members arranged one upon each of the supports B1 and adjacent each end of the composite housing to receive discharge or leakage from the housing. 25 Each of the members A5 and A9 provides a stufling box in which is positioned packing C, which may be adjustably held in place by a packing gland C1. Upon the shaft A and between it and the packing C are positioned bushings C2. 3o Within the member A5 and the member A9 and preferably outside of each of the bushings C2 is positioned a ring-like member C3 with which a fresh water supply member or pipe C1 communicates. Through this pipe fresh water or other 35 fresh cleaning liquid may be supplied to the stuffing box construction to set up an inwardly moving current of liquid more generally called a fresh water seal" to keep grit fromflowing or otherwise penetrating into the stufng box. 40 On the inside of the comminuter housing A there may be arranged a number of inwardly projecting members D that co-operate with the comminuting element to comminute the solid and semi-solid material. In the form shown here- 45 with they are aligned generally longitudinally of the housing A*6 andare fastened in place by screws D1. They may, however, be of any suitable form. They may be helically or otherwise curved and they may be formed integrally with 50 the housing A6.l The invention is not limited to the particular form shown and for the purposes of one phase of the invention it is suicient that the interior of the housing A6 be sufficiently rough to prevent free slipping of material with respect 55 to the inner surface of the housing A. 'I'his roughness assists the cutting and breaking action which is desired and prevents material from Wrapping about the shaft A. Instead of the inwardly projecting members D, as shown, no matter what their shape, a similar effect might be produced -by forming depressions in the inner walls of the housing A5. 'I'hese for some purposes would produce sufficient roughness to accomplish the desired purpose. As shown, the combined conveying and comminuting element A2 has two helical blades that continuously cross each stationary comminuting member D at several places, at Wide angles thereto, to thereby effectively comminute the solids and semi-solids within the confines of the casing and convey the comminuted material therein to the impeller.

It will be realized that whereas I have herewith shown and described a of parts without departmg from the spirit of my invention and I wish, therefore, that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

In particular, the type of pump or impeller might be almost infinitely varied as might also the type of comminuting element. The comminuting element or breaker may be combined with any type of centrifugal pump or impeller. More than one comminuting element may be combined ing element with any arrangement or design of contrifugal pump or pumps. Specifically it may be applied to a multiple centrifugal pump or more than one comminuting element may be applied to a single pump so that for a single pump two comminuting elements may be provided, feeding material to the pump from different directions. While I have shown the comminuting element and the pump as mounted on the same shaft, this is not necessary and they might be separately supported and mounted. While I have shown as the comminuting element a helicoidal element of constant pitch, it lis to be understood that it might be of variable pitch and for some purposes instead of using a continuous element it might be broken or discontinuous. It is sufliclent for the purpose of this invention that some sort of a pump is provided and that means to which liquid and solid and'semi-solid material is first introduced is of such type that it will chop, cut, shatter or sufficiently break up the material so that by the time it reaches the pump element it can be adequately handledby the latter.

With respect to the`comminuting action, it is obvious that this word, where used in the claims. covers any device which has alcutting, chopping, breaking, tearing, crushing, shattering or other action which tends to break up material of any nature from larger into smaller pieces, so that it may be effectively .iandled by the pump proper and particularly without any danger of binding or clogging.

While the vanes or projections D have an important effect in assisting in the chopping and breaking action, they serve also to render the conveying of the screw A2 more efficient, and consequently this construction serves this added purpose and may be adopted in devices where the chopping action is unimportant or only secondary and where there is no impeller such as the member A1. f

'I'he use and operation of my invention are as rfollows:

The apparatus is put into position in any suitable place where liquid containing solid or semisolid material to be handled may be supplied to it. Usually it is in the line of supply of liquid. One of many typical uses is in sewage disposal plants in which the material to be dealt with is mainly liquid, but contains an appreciable quantity of solid and semi-solid matter of such size and consistency that it might clog the pump. The material of whatever nature is supplied first 1n to the comminuting element at any angle and preferably to the latter intermediate its ends,A that is to say, it is not ordinarily fed against the ends of the comminuting element. When that is done, the danger of clogging and other inter- 15 ruption of operation is increased. At the time the material is fed to the comminuting element, the latter and the pump impeller are in rotation and the solids and semi-solids carried in the liquid are cut, chopped, shattered or otherwise be- 20 come broken up and reduced in size and fed forward to the pump impeller. For most purposes it is preferable to give the comminuting element a rotary speed sufficient to effect a true impact or shattering action, rather than a merely crushing action.

While the comminuting element is in the form of a worm screw or helical conveyor, it might be of almost any other form. In fact, it might be so shaped as to have no conveying action, but only a chopping and breaking, action. Whatever its shape, the material is broken, chopped or shattered by it and ultimately reaches the pump impeller and is then forced from the pump housing by the impeller and discharged from the pump. Obviously the liquid matter is not affected by the comminuting element but merely passes along it, and through the comminuting element housing. In case the comminuting element is formed also as a conveying element, it may have some conveying effect on all of the material and may serve to expedite its course to the impeller.

When used in conjunction with the cutting bars or ribs D, the solid and semi-solid material is reduced in size by the co-action between the rotating comminuting element and the bars or ribs, and furthermore, the latter assist the comminuting element in conveying the comminuted material to the pump impeller since the bars or ribs prevent the solid and semi-solidmaterial from rotating with the comminuter. Whatever the details, structure and arrangements of' the several parts, there will always be associated with a pump a comminuting element or reducing means to which the material to be handled is fed first before reaching the pump proper. The material will go or be forced thence to the pump proper. By the time itreaches the pump, its solid and semi-solid material will have been reduced to such size that they can readily be handled by the pump without clogging and thus the action of the movement of the material as it leaves the comminuting element is a typical pumping action, since the material has all been reduced to a condition and size in which it can readily be pumped.

The helicoidal conveyor, ferred to also as a comminuting element thus has a chopping, cutting, breaking, shattering and conveying action and in its operation may set up a degree of suction which additionally forces and feeds material to the impeller.

I claim:

1. In combination, in a pump for pumping liquids containing solid or semi-solid materials, a

cylindrical housing having a suction inlet in its side wall and a discharge opening in an end spaced away from the suction inlet, a comminuting rib extending along the internal face of the housing, said rib being spaced away from the side of the suction inlet and extending beyond the same, and a combined comminuting and nveying element rotating in said housing, said suction inlet being located within the length of the combined comminuting and conveying element and the latter being provided with helical blades extending completely around the body thereof, each blade crossing said comminuting rib at several places and at a relatively wide angle, whereby solid and semi-solid materials are comminuted within the connes of the casing, and conveyed from the suction inlet to the discharge opening.

2. In a pump for handling liquids containing solid and semi-solid materials, the combination of a cylindrical casing having a suction inlet in its side wall and a discharge outlet at one end, there being a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves disposed around its internal cylindrical face and extending from end to end thereof, comminuting ribs seated in said grooves with their cutting edges raised slightly above the internal face of the casing, and a combined comminuting and conveying element rotating in said casing, said suction inlet being locatedv Within the length of the combined comminuting and conveying element, and the latter being provided with helical blades extending completely around the body thereof, and each blade crossing each comminuting rib at several places, at wide angles thereto, whereby upon rotation of the combined comminuting and conveying element, solid and :emi-solid materials are comminuted within the connes of the casing, and the comminuted material is conveyed therein to-the discharge outlet.

WALTER M. BELL. 

